Measuring 3 weeks behind with heartbeat

[Beeperbird]

Hello,
I found out about two weeks ago I was pregnant. I have very irregular periods (PCOS) so it was a huge surprise as I thought I wasn’t ovulating anymore.
My dates according to my last period I should be 9 weeks today, however I had a private scan today and I’m only measuring 6 weeks (just!) but with a “strong” heartbeat whatever that means, and the sonographer said everything else was normal for 6 weeks.
I have also only just started feeling nauseous / painful breasts etc.
I have no idea if my husband and I had sex around that date! Can’t remember for the life of me.

I asked whether I should be worried as it’s so behind and they just shrugged and left me feeling a bit confused.
Does anyone have any experience of this - positive or negative?

You've probably, unknowingly ovulated very late. Especially if you’ve only just started feeling sick (this has always been 6/7 weeks for me)

I ovulated late and estimate myself to be around 12 weeks. Haven’t had a scan to confirm. By my LMP I’d be between 13/14 weeks. I know I aren’t this far on as I only got a faint positive on 18th of March. Good luck with it all!

I have no experience with PCOS but it could mean that you ovulated really late in your cycle? Especially as you have irregular periods. Maybe book another scan in one or two weeks and if it's still growing to those days then that's good?

Congratulations, I don't think you should be worried this just sounds like you ovulated a little later and the sickness always kicked in at 7 weeks for me.

I also have PCOS and my LMP was 05/03 which would make me 10+3 but my cycles were around 35-36 days and we only DTD on the 29/03 so I knew I must have ovulated later than the standard 14 days. Had an early scan on Tuesday which dated me exactly 8+2 which is what I thought

I don't think you should worry - dating from last period is generally only accurate for a 28 day cycle. I don't have PCOS but had very long and irregular cycles and I generally ovulated late so when I got pregnant, my dates from period put me at 9 weeks but I knew I ovulated a lot later so wasn't that far along at all. It was confirmed by a private scan that I was only just under 7 weeks. It's perfectly normal

Ah Thankyou so much for the reassurance.

The pregnancy tests match up I guess with the scan, I took a test on what would have been around 3 weeks and was negative, and then the positive one would have been at 4 weeks according to the scan date.
I wish the sonographer could have explained it a bit to me!
Thanks again

Congratulations on your pregnancy. This sounds normal for people with irregular cycles, as ovulation occurs later than the standard 14 days for a 28 day cycle - which is how a midwife dates pregnancy but it's not the most accurate system once you consider longer cycles! Symptoms tend to start kicking in around 6 or 7 weeks as well, so sounds like you're right on track. Seeing a heartbeat is a good sign. Relax and take each day at a time.

The most important thing is that everything looks ok and there's a strong heartbeat. It sounds like you're just very irregular and ovulated later than expected this month.

Dates aren't exact this early on either as baby is so tiny. I had my first scan when I thought I was 7+5 going by LMP but baby only measured 6+1. She actually caught up a week by the dating scan and I'm now 27+3

If it helps , I only had sex once the month I conceived . It was on my period actually , 11 days out from when I usually ovulate. I figured I ovulated early as that often happens but at my nhs dating scan I was measuring right on track . I can’t figure out HOW lol. The math just doesn’t add up but I definitely didn't have sex any other day as my husband was out of the country . Sometimes none of this makes sense though . I often hear of people who have their dates wrong so it happens a lot .

Also early pregnancy scans are not accurate with measurements. With my first pregnancy I had an early scan and it was showing me a week behind . Then at my 12 week dating scan I was showing a week ahead ( which was two weeks ahead of my early scan 🤷‍♀️)